Through the Years
by Luv2Game
Summary: Kana had been running from her past for over sixty years. Now here it stood, on her doorstep in the form of the only thing it could possibly take. Pakku was back in her life; she had little say in the matter. And running was no longer an option. :Pakkana:
1. New Arrivals

_**A/n:**_ Ah, a multi-chaptered gig! It's been a while. But Pakku/Kana is worth it, I think. Their relationship is an interesting one, and yet we know so little! They were engaged as teenagers, Kana broke it off and ran, they have no contact after that, and then sixty years later he shows up at her doorstep. Drama! And we know that they eventually rekindle their romance, and to me, that implies that there was something there to start with. Perhaps something other than an arranged marriage.

Plus, we all need some old people love. It's so canon-tastic!

_**Disclaimer:**_ Yeah, sure, _Avatar: The Last Airbender _is mine. If you wanna believe it, go right ahead. Hate to admit, but I'm not that awesome.

So, let's get rollin'! Starts off a few days after Pakku's fleet arrives at the South Pole. We all know Kana was probably stewing. I know I would be...

**Chapter 1: New Arrivals**

_**x x x x**_

Shuffling back and forth, arms full of supplies, Kana sighed, hugging a pile of blankets to her chest. The air was crisp and cold, cooler than usual for the early spring season. Thick powder lay on the ground, bright sun glistening off of the ice and lighting up the area. The path she crossed was carved out, snow pressed down and packed, but that didn't make her trek any easier. Every load that she carried between the ship's harbor and the small storage hut a few yards away caused her muscles to strain and her breath to shorten.

She didn't mind, though. She enjoyed the work. Carting the supplies from point A to point B, distributing them throughout her small village; it was good work, and Kana took pleasure in it. The South Pole could be a harsh climate, dumping mounds of snow and ice, blowing out frigid temperatures well below zero, and it made life seem unforgiving at times. The one hundred year war that continued to wage dampened the mood further, taking away the men of the village and leaving it bare and forlorn, full of women and children struggling to make ends meet. The village had been growing smaller and smaller since the war began, and now with the able-bodied men off serving to protect it, it looked like a ragged postage stamp on a vast white envelope.

To see it so active now, full of bustling activity and smiling faces, was like a soothing balm on Kana's heart. She had been a part of the tribe for over fifty years, and she hadn't felt the air so electric with happiness for a long while. The harbor off of the tip of the village had been vacant since the men had left over five years ago. Now a small fleet of Northern Water Tribe ships sat silently docked, and men once again walked through the village, bringing the sense of security and protection that only they could.

And though the newly-arrived sister tribe could easily handle the unloading of the supplies they had carried with them across the vast ocean, Kana refused to be cast off to the sidelines. Old woman or not, she was going to help and not a soul could convince her otherwise.

Besides, working helped keep her mind occupied and her thoughts on a short leash. Thankful as she was for the new additions to her village, their appearance had brought up countless memories and emotions. The tribe of the South had lost contact with the Northern Tribe before she had joined the Southern nomads. The war had taken too many resources, eaten up valuable time, and too many miles separated the Poles- it had been nigh impossible to keep in touch. Now, after such a long period of time had passed, they had reopened the line of communication, offering help to their sister who, on most every account, was so far behind them in resources.

Reaching the storage building, Kana paused, dropping off her load and stretching her back. Everywhere she looked she could see something. Someone patching up a house that needed tending to ages ago, or a group preparing to head out and hunt down some dinner. A flock of women streaking by, the lines on their faces not nearly as prominent and their eyes smiling, burden on their shoulders lifted considerably. It was like her village was slowly waking up and taking that first deep breath of the morning.

She continued to survey, the happy sights warming her. A small smile began to form on her lips, but the expression was fleeting. Faded cerulean eyes narrowed, her gaze falling on a figure approaching one of the docked ships. The very one she was helping with. An indignant huff swelled in her chest.

Pakku. She recognized his proud swagger instantly. Fifty plus years had done little to dampen it. Of all the people in the Northern Tribe that could have led the expedition to her village, it seemed _he_ had been appointed to it's head. Kana couldn't say she was surprised, he had always been capable; pleased, however, she was not. He was the main reason she felt the need to reign in her thoughts and keep her mind busy.

Yet here he was, elbowing into her space. There were other boats that still needed unloading. As if invading her tribe wasn't enough.

Turning her back, Kana moved away from the storage shed and into the village. There was more work to be done than heft around boxes all day. Technically, she was the elder of this tribe, and as such it was her duty to care for the guests. Being a member of the Southern Tribe since her teenage years, she knew just about everything there was to know about every single snowflake that had ever touched the Pole. She also knew how to cook a meal, and she had a feeling the new additions would be ready to eat by sundown.

Moving through the worn paths of the town, recruiting helping hands, Kana slowly resigned to the fact that Pakku would probably have to eat, too.

_**x x x x**_

Stepping out into the winter air, feeling the warm sunshine on his face, Pakku drew in a deep breath, taking in the ice and snow surrounding him. Buildings stood scattered about, most humble in size and design, all maintained and cared for, a few perhaps in need of a helping hand. A fire pit stood in the middle of the village, flickering even in the daylight, helping with the icy chill. Stands of dried fish sat beside huts, hides tanning beside them. The largest building sat in the center, close to the flame, a sign declaring it to be the meeting place. Even the center piece of the village was simple, no added, ornate carving. Nothing to draw the eye.

The South Pole was certainly different from the North. Everything in his home was grand. Even the simplest handrail was curved and delicate. Buildings were tall, proud. Heritage was proclaimed with symbols embedded in walls. It seemed his sister tribe had not been blessed with the good-fortune of his home. It was his job, his and the men and women that had traveled with him, to help this village back on it's feet and drag it out of the slump that it had been in for much too long. He had an allotted time to do so in, and he knew he had his work cut out for him.

He didn't have time to sit back and relax. He had never been partial to idle hands, anyway.

Walking through the village, heading towards the ship he had rode over on days before, Pakku wondered just how long it would take to help these people. It was obvious they had managed to survive countless years without aide, but survive was basically all the had accomplished. He understood that the war had been hard on everyone, but it seemed the Southern Tribe had suffered many blows. He had never visited the Pole before, yet he had heard stories, read of the branch family. Nothing he had heard or seen painted such a glum picture, of a tribe full of women and children forced play two roles- man and woman, adult and child.

That had been years ago, when he had been young and ambitious, before he had been appointed a bending master and confronted with the war himself. Time had a way of changing things, so it was little surprise that the books no longer held truth and old accounts had gone stale. Still, a hint of remorse nagged at him. Ties between the two tribes had been severed before he had been born, but the decline of this village seemed senseless. Even with the war at full height, his tribe held countless men; this one had been without them for over five years.

He was here to change that, he reminded himself. Help this place so that when his brothers returned from war they wouldn't have the burden of breathing life into their homes.

Reaching the shipyard, Pakku routinely grabbed a couple of boxes, nodding a hello to the familiar faces and starting for the storage shed. They would probably be unloading ships until the day the left, having packed them with every type of good imaginable. Foods, spices, medicine, building supplies- his men had come prepared. As he walked, easily balancing the load in his arms, he spotted another known face and the boxes he held wavered as he fought to free a hand.

Which was useless, really, since the person he saw was walking away. He hadn't exactly seen their face, but even from behind, deep chocolate hair now a smokey gray, Pakku knew who it was. The years had done little to squash the image he still held of her. Kana hardly seemed to care that he was waving to her empty footprints, however, and Pakku quickly steadied his cargo.

Kana hardly seemed to care that he was here at all. Period. Years ago they had been friends. They had grown up together, been each other's shadow. He had thought that perhaps they could reopen that old channel. She had barely spoken three words to him since he had arrived. Which was a feat, since they were together for at least an hour every night for dinner and decision making. Kana held much respect in her little tribe. No one had any qualms that she head the Southern Waterbenders during meetings. With Pakku leading his own tribe, he had assumed they would speak often. He hadn't been aware of Kana's status, but he had been pleasantly surprised to see her hold such high-standings.

It seemed Kana cared little to rekindle their past friendship. She barely spoke with him when she had to. Leisurely chatting was a far-fetched hope, and retracing old ground was completely out of the question. He had never forgotten her; seemed as though she wanted to forget him.

Sighing, Pakku drew in another deep breath. The smell that greeted him- the crispness of the cold, salt of the sea, spices of the food, smoke of the fires- it remained the same as home. At least some things never changed. For that, Pakku was grateful.

_**x x x x**_

Sitting a bowl on the table, filling it full of warm seafood stew, Kana passed it on down the line. Clinking silverware and chattering voices filled the halls of the meeting house as guests plunged into their meals. The oblong tables were full of hungry Northern Tribe citizens, all happily enjoying the meal that their hosts had prepared them. This had become routine for Kana, cooking for Northern Tribe of the evenings and sitting down with them to discuss progress and map out agendas. A handful of women helped, taking shifts and rotating circles, but Kana was always there. It was her job.

She took pride in it, even though she had to sit across from the man she had never thought she would see again. The good out-weighed the bad. Pakku was one man in a sea of many.

Filtering through the room, making sure everyone was being served, she stopped occasionally to speak with someone. Juno asked for seconds, Gukoh wanted to let her know that the repairs on Mrs. Sona's home were going well. Kila asked if she could go home early because her son was sick. By the time Kana was able to get her own supper, half of the hall had cleared out and gone off to their respective quarters. She couldn't complain. She enjoyed talking with them all. Having all these people about was such a nice change of pace. Tiring, but nice.

Sitting down at her table, Kana waited for her stew to cool. With half the hall gone, she knew what was to come. It was time to go over the day's progress. Chart what had been accomplished and what still needed to be done. It had been that way since day one, and she was sure day six would be no different. Further down the table sat the one man of many, locked in a conversation with a fellow younger than himself, empty bowl sitting in front of him. Kana idly began ticking away the seconds in her head, wondering how long it would take for him to start the meeting.

She had barely counted to fifteen. Pakku ended the conversation he was having with his dining partner and turned expectant blue eyes toward her. Despite herself, she wanted to laugh. Sixty years, and he still wasted little time.

"So, shall we get onto business?"

Kana took a bite of stew, nodding.

_**x x x x**_

Later that evening, with hall completely cleared and everyone off to homes and ships, Kana was still bustling about the meeting house. Dishes were all stacked, waiting for tomorrow. Tables were all swiped clean. She mentally went through her list of tasks, checking each one off. Everything was taken care of, and she could return to her own little hut and retire. Tomorrow was going to be a another busy day.

She was reluctant. Her bones ached and her eyes drooped, but going home didn't seem like a solution to her quandaries. Her mind was still full of fuel, while her body seemed to be running on empty. Her past was right on her doorstep. She had been running from it for sixty years, and now here it stood. And she was still running. Had been for nearly a week. It couldn't last forever. The South Pole wasn't nearly as big as the North, and she didn't feel like packing up and starting over again. Not at her age.

She wanted to. Just run away. Like she had all those years ago. Pakku seemed to bring that out in her- the urge to flee. But she wasn't going to. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a woman. A woman with grandchildren. Running wasn't an option. It was time to stand and face her past head on. Had she not taught her family the very same thing?

But preaching and doing were two very different things...

"Well, my lands, what are you still doing here?"

Looking up from the table she sat at, Kana smiled, the old familiar voice breaking through her thoughts and chasing away the bleak cloud. Yugoda. One part of her past she was extremely happy to see. The woman had been her dearest friend back home, and time had not dampened her gentle spirit or welcoming voice.

"Just cleaning up. What in the world are you doing? You heard what was said over dinner. The drill sergeant seems to think we're Platypus Bears. We have to be up at the crack of dawn."

Yugoda laughed, shaking her head and sitting down next to Kana. "Oh, he's just being a good leader. You can't fault the man for that."

Kana said nothing. Yugoda was no stranger to her relationship with the old master bender. She had been there from the start. Kana didn't want to speak of Pakku at all; she'd had little time to catch up with the healer sitting beside her since her arrival. Even after the countless years, the comfort that accompanied friends was retained, and Kana wanted to stoke the flames.

"According to you, the man has no faults." Waving her hand through the air, she grinned. "Let's see if you think the same thing tomorrow."

"That's actually why I'm here." Obviously, Yugoda felt like the fire was perfectly fine. "The old Platypus Bear requests your presence. He has some building blueprints and needs someone who knows the terrain to help him pick out the best location."

"So, you're here on business? And I thought perhaps you were looking for an old friend."

Yugoda wagged her finger, perhaps a bit more wrinkled that Kana remembered, but still full of the sass she was so used to. "Don't you start with me. You know why I signed up for this job. Why else would I travel across the ocean?"

Kana grinned. "So he sent you here in his place, did he? Too chicken to ask himself?"

"Just meet him at the harbor in the morning. Lands, we aren't teenagers anymore, Kana."

"Must you remind me?"

Yugoda laughed, leaning forward in her seat. With her task taken care off, she seemed ready to fan the flames, just as Kana had hoped. They sat in the meeting house, fire slowly dwindling down, chatting over how their lives had changed, still full of the same girly giggles they had shared as children. But as they talked, Kana couldn't silence the voice tickling her ear. The past was on her doorstep.

And she wasn't running anymore.

_**x x x x**_

_**A/n: **_Gah, I hate introductory chapters. Make me all nervous! And characters we know so little about... then I go and throw Yugoda in, because her past with Kana interests me just as much as her past with Pakku. Old people parade! XD Seriously, though, beginning chapters kill me. Hope your interest was pricked enough to tune in for the next chapter. I get better as I go. Promise. :winkwink: Pakana needs more love. It's canon!

Thoughts are appreciated. Feel free to let me know what you think. I have this thing mapped out to be around eight chapters, give or take. Not extremely long, but long enough to explore past, present, and future. We'll have old people fluff eventually. And isn't that the best fluff of all?

It sure is.

- L2G


	2. Morning Hike

_**A/n:**_ Ah, I feel much better with that fist chapter over with. Thanks for the comments, my dear reviewers. I do appreciate them. Here's some actual Pakku/Kana interaction. Hooray! Oh, and there's a flashback in here. The next few chapters will jump from present to past. Flashbacks are new to me- I'll try not to fail miserably.

_**Disclaimer:**_ Yep, _Avatar_ still isn't mine. Weird, right?

**Chapter 2: Morning Hike**

_**x x x x**_

Stepping out into the morning sunshine, squinting against the glare on the snow, Kana replayed her late-night conversation with Yugoda. According to the healer, Pakku wanted her to meet him at the docks. He wouldn't be hard to locate- the docks were just outside the village and you could take in the whole area in with one fluid glance. The fact that he had used Yugoda to request her presence made her quirk a brow, but she really couldn't blame him. She hadn't been the most welcoming face in her tribe. Not for him.

Starting across the village, she tugged her blue parka tight against the nippy air, keeping her steps light and determined. Yugoda was right. She was no longer a teenager. She was no longer the girl that had run away from a marriage; she was a woman firmly planted in her home and decisions. It was time she stop side-skirting issues and stop avoiding the man she had left. That was all in the past.

He was here now, and he wasn't going anywhere. He was here to help her homeland, and she should be thankful. He had given her no reason to treat him like anything other than an old friend. That's what he had been. Her dear friend.

Marching across the snow, Kana kept repeating her mantra. He was no threat, he was a friend. She approached the harbor, chant steady. She saw him clearly, as she had known she would. He really hadn't changed that much from their youth. Same pronounced cheekbones. Same firm jaw. Same sharp eyes. Just as tall and proud as ever. His dark ebony hair was now as white as the snow she walked on, but time couldn't leave everything the same.

His hearing seemed to be just as clear as ever, because he turned his head away from the sea before her foot touched the wooden dock. Kana's new out-look on life vanished as soon as his gaze touched hers'. Sixty years might have gone by, but he was still Pakku, and he still had that intense stare that could make a mountain shrink down to a pebble.

"You came."

His greeting was simple. Calm. Absolute. Kana bristled, though his tone held no animosity.

"You invited me, didn't you?"

He held her gaze a moment longer and turned, stepping off the dock and heading east of the village. He didn't say anything, just walked. Obviously she was expected to follow. Kana rolled her eyes, shuffling after him.

"Your invitation _was _intended for me, yes? I know things can mixed up when traveling through the grape-vine."

Pakku continued walking, his stride deliberate. He didn't even glance down at her as she fell in step beside him. Kana decided to mimic him, reminding herself again of her chat with Yugoda. The healer was right. She was no longer a teenager. Far from it.

They continued on in silence. Kana had never imagined that she would be walking beside him like this, as she had done countless times countless years ago. Now it seemed foreign, but not entirely unpleasant. She had thought that being alone with him would be suffocating, one of the reasons she had tried to keep running. Walking with him now, she noted how easily she seemed to be breathing.

Shaking her head, Kana interrupted the quiet. "So, you have some blueprints?"

He continued moving, eyes focused straight ahead. " I do."

"May I ask what they are for?"

Pakku stopped, a few yards out of the village, standing in front of the one of the few remaining watch towers scattered over the area. "Is this really the best location to place a tower?"

The blueprints were for the towers, she reasoned. Heaven forbid he just answer her question. "I suppose." She glanced around. Relatively flat, vast ocean close at hand, very easy to see out across the glassy surface. "You can see out across the ocean. Isn't that the point of towers?"

"To an extent- the towers serve to spot danger. But this," he kicked the cylinder structure with his booted toes, "sticks out like a sore thumb. Just as they can spot anything out on the ocean, anything sitting out on the waters can spot them. Not the best tactical strategy. That," Pakku hitched a thumb farther east, near a wall of thick ice, "offers the same advantage without the disadvantage. That is where we need to relocate this."

He thumped the pillar once more. Kana just shrugged and nodded. It made sense, and she could admit that he probably knew much more about picking prime locations for watch towers than she did. To have survived so much of this war, she truly had very little knowledge of battles and tactics.

"Care to show me where the rest of these are located?"

Again, she shrugged and nodded. "All three of them? Sure."

They started off, Kana leading, Pakku beside her. She took him to each tower of compacted snow, stopping at the base while he continued walking, surveying the area, mentally calculating and evaluating. The journey started off fairly quiet, the two speaking only when they reached a location and talking only of structures and ground. Half-way to the third tower, conversation started before they located the target and continued after they found it, drifting from business to trivial talk of weather and other non-personal matters. On the fourth and final tower, Kana once again noted that not only was she still breathing, but that speaking didn't seem to be doing her bodily harm, either.

"Tell me, how do these humps of snow pass for towers?" Circled around the last pillar, Pakku narrowed his gaze as he inspected the tower, hunks of snow missing from the torrents and chunks sliding off the body.

"The Fire Nation has taken everything of use; what's there to look for?"

Pakku hummed out a response. Kana returned it with a rueful smile. They lingered around the tower, the tour at it's end. The morning was mostly gone, the noon sun about to climb to it's peak. Kana turned her face to sky, allowing the glow to warm her dark skin. Perhaps her village had been shaken to it's core, but it still stood. It was strong and resilient, and she had hope that it could reclaim it's former glory. Be as proud and active as it had been the day she joined.

Looking at the man beside her, she was reminded of the reason why he was here in the first place. The past on her doorstep. Here to help build her future.

She turned, heading back towards the village, and Pakku followed. As they walked, Kana wrestled with a thought that had come to mind hours ago, before she had even met him on the dock. Though speaking with him wasn't as awkward as she had assumed, she wasn't sure if she wanted to open the door any wider than it already was. A crack was almost too much. She couldn't silence the whispering voice, however, so she spoke, keeping her voice neutral and easy.

"My granddaughter wrote to me a few weeks back. She told me you taught her how to bend."

"I did."

Kana was quiet a for a long moment, then continued. "It surprised me. Still does. I can't believe Katara managed to break tradition."

He said nothing for many paces. Looking straight ahead, he slowly replied, "She's very much like her grandmother."

Kana said nothing more.

_**x x x x**_

_Sitting near_ _the_ sparkling water flowing through town, Kana sighed. She was bored to death. Children circled to her left, laughing and playing, pelting each other with snow balls, but she was much too old to join them- according to everyone around her. She was sixteen years-old. It was time to stop acting like a adolescent and step into adult-hood. Take on responsibilities. Grow up.

Get married.

Shoving her chin into her palm, she puffed out a breath, air tickling the dark brown bangs on her forehead. Her parents had been sneaking that little bit into conversations on a nigh-daily basis. Kana wasn't thrilled about it. She'd always known her husband was pre-destined, but when she had been six it hadn't seemed nearly as pressing. She had taken it with as a grain of salt and skipped out the door to play with her friends. It was part of tradition. A price of high society. Her father was on the war committee, her family was well-respected in the tribe. She was always taken care of, all of her needs and even some of her wants provided for.

She was lucky. Kana knew that. She was thankful for it. Her parents were good to her, loved her, and spent time with her. Her mother had married her father at sixteen. They had been matched before they had even been born. Her grandmother and grandfather, too. It was tradition. She couldn't pick her mate; didn't even have to know who they were. Which she did not. That was just how things worked.

Whether she liked it or not.

Falling back into the snow, Kana groaned. The sky above her was as clear as ice and blue as the ocean. Not a single cloud drifted by. It was just as boring as the canal that meandered in front of her. She had left her house to have fun and forget about the future looming in front of her, but there was nothing to do. Yugoda was off practicing her healing. Her best friend was blessed with bending; Kana could barely pack together a snow ball.

Pulling herself up, Kana glanced past the group of loud children and focused her gaze on the boy standing at water's edge, manipulating the liquid with easy movements. Both of her friends could use her tribe's element. She was always left sitting on the sidelines.

"Pakku...," she drew out his name, making it one long whine. "Come on. This is boring." Emphasizing her point, she flopped back into the powder. "Let's go do something..."

"I _am_ doing something. Be quiet so I can concentrate."

"How am I distracting?" Once again dragging herself out of the snow, she narrowed her eyes, glaring into the waterbender's back. "Those kids are way louder than I am."

"They aren't calling my name in some high-pitched wail."

"Uh! I am not wailing!"

Pakku grimaced, dropping his arms, sliver of water falling with the movement. "Yes, you are."

"Well, I'm bored, and this sucks. Sitting here, watching you swirl water around."

"You don't have to watch me. It's not my fault you're bored and have no talent."

Kana moaned. He loved rubbing his ability in her face. Just because he could call up a wave of water and she couldn't. If she _could_ bend, she'd be better at him than he was. She was better at most everything else. Running, jumping, boating. She could always beat him in a canoe race. She'd been beating him since they were allowed to crawl into the wooden boat at eight years old.

"It's not like I'd be allowed to practice with you, anyway," she retorted, standing and dusting the powder from her thick parka. "You men are afraid to be beaten by a bunch of women, and stick us in the healing tent."

"Someone has to heal us- we're out there fighting to protect _you_."

"If we were allowed to bend, we could protect _ourselves._"

"_You _couldn't, because you can't _bend_."

"I bet I could beat _you_ in a race through the canal, because _I'm_ better than _you_."

"Not at bending."

Weaving through the children, Kana stopped in front of Pakku, planting her feet firmly on the ground. She had to look up at him. She had been taller than him for the first ten years of their friendship, then he had sailed past her in height and now he easily had five inches on her five foot five frame. He just smirked down at her, white teeth popping against his coffee-skinned hide and long dark hair.

"Truth hurt?" he prodded, blue orbs challenging. Kana cast her own eyes heavens' ward.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. Afraid a girl's going to beat you?"

"Can your ego stand it when a man- the superior sex- leaves you in his wake?"

"I don't see a man, I see a boy."

Pakku's eyes narrowed to slits. Kana grinned.

"If you fall in the water, I'll save you. It's such a shame that you can't help yourself."

He walked away, moving towards the small dock were their boats were tied up. Kana's grin grew wider, all thoughts of her future pushed away. Her friends could always do that, shove away any bleak thoughts clogging up her mind. Especially Pakku. He could always chase away negative thoughts, usually because he was the cause of them. He always replaced them with a desire to come out on top and show him who was better. Most people called them rivals; she called him her one of her best friends.

And she was about to show Pakku just who was going to be left in the waves.

_**x x x x**_

With the sun below the horizon and her day over, Kana walked into her home. It had been a long day. Her tour with Pakku had been the high-point; boxes had awaited her at the village. She was tired of lugging around cargo. One more crate was going to break her back in two.

Tossing some logs in the hearth, banking the fire for the night, Kana moved to her pallet, burrowing under the blankets with a sigh. Her morning hike with the waterbender might have been the easiest part of her work day, but it certainly had not been the brightest patch all together. She hadn't thought about her youth in ages. Once her Hakoda had entered the world, life seemed too busy to think back. After her son stepped into adulthood, he'd left his children to brighten her days. The war was a constant, and Kana had to worry about the present and protecting what she had, not look back and think on what she had once claimed.

Images of the past now swirled around her mind as clear as day. She'd been trying to quell them since the Northern Tribe's arrival- a fruitless task. For the first time in a long time, when Kana closed her eyes to sleep pictures of her first home- of her parents and her friends, of the landscape and grand architecture of her native northern land- played in her vision.

Her childhood had been a happy one. She was an only child, born to a gentle mother and a kind father. She had been well-off in her tribe. Her father had served on the war committee, sitting very close to the chief and sharing power with few. The war had been waging for over twenty years when she had came along, and her father had had a seat for ten years by then. Her family name was already respected, and she had wanted to do nothing to tarnish their name.

Her mother had been wonderful. Teaching her how to weave and sew, cook and can. Everything a woman was expected to know to keep up her household. But she had done so with laughter and smiles, always opening her arms to her, never once pushing her away. Her father, too. He had always had a knee for her sit on and a hug waiting. Being born a female, Kana had never once felt like a disappointment in her father's eye. Tradition was strong in the Northern Tribe, and boys were to carry on the father's legacy. She never once heard her father lament her sex or felt as though she did not measure up.

Yugoda had come from a similar background. She supposed that was why they had been such good friends. Her friendship with the healer had been instantaneous, full of gossip and daydreams. They had met at on the first day of school, and remained close throughout their childhood. Yugoda was her girlfriend, the person she shared secrets and giggles with. The sister she had never had.

Her relationship with Pakku had been completely different. His father had served on the same board as her father, and both men had been well-acquainted. She had known Pakku before they had entered school, played with him outside the war council hall while their parents worked. They went into the learning system as friends, and remained so throughout. Where her friendship with Yugoda was mellow and easy, her relationship with Pakku was competitive and fast. Always trying to top the other, constantly pushing and prodding. Most people thought their bond strange, and as odd as it was, it worked. She could count on him to push her to her limit, yet pick her up when she fell.

Her childhood had been blessed. But she had left it. Turned and fled the moment fear and confusion and anger had jumped in her path.

Pulling the covers tight against her chin, Kana opened her eyes, staring up at the domed ceiling of her hut. Much smaller than the home she had grown up in.

Eyes opened or closed, she was reminded of the past. Her mind refused to drop it. She didn't like it. Her parents had been good to her, and she had never wanted to disappoint them. In the end, she had done just that. She couldn't change it; her parent's had been gone for a long time. She wasn't even sure of the dates. She'd had good friends, the kind everyone hoped to have.

That was why she had never cared to think about the past. She couldn't say she regretted her decisions, because she was happy with her life now, but the older she became, the more she regretted the manner of her choices.

Sighing, Kana closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come. She was tired of thinking. Especially about the past.

She was beginning to realize that she missed it.

_**x x x x **_

_**A/n: **_Back-story! Just as nerve-wracking as introductions. Haha! I enjoy Pakku and Kana being rivals, but I thought the friendship card could liven the mix up. So I'm going to explore _both_ aspects. At the same time. With characters we know very little about. I like going out on limbs. XP Feedback is absolute love, especially on that flashback snippet. Since this story will have them throughout, I want it to be fluid.

More Pakku next chapter. He was kind of left out this time, huh? Thanks to **renjiluvah** for looking over my chapters, even though she's an Avatar newb. Seems impossible to be such, doesn't it?

- L2G


	3. Old Friend

_**A/n: **_This chapter is kinda boring, but I feel it is a necessary bore. I apologize in advance. Major thanks to my gal **renjiluvah** for reviewing. :slaps Renji a high five: Much love, girly!

_**Disclaimer: **_I still cannot claim _Avatar_ as my own property. What a shame, right?

**Chapter 3: Old Friend**

_**x x x x**_

Arms loaded with baskets full of fresh fruits, Pakku moved through the village, unloading the foods in out-stretched hands. His baskets were emptied in a matter of minutes, women scampering away with wide smiles and their prizes tucked into pockets. As he walked back to the harbor, Pakku found himself biting back a grin of his own. To see people so pleased with simple produce was satisfying, if not a little humbling. Though his good-mood couldn't be based solely on work; the roots lay deeper, from days beforehand.

His walk with Kana had lifted his spirits. Now their dinners together were not nearly as suffocating. Passing by no longer warranted stiff silence and cold shoulders, but a small smile and a nod. The stale air had dissipated. Pakku couldn't deny the pleasure he felt.

The village seemed to be feeding off of the same fuel. Activity was a constant, both tribes lending helping hands and working together, silent with complaints. Boats were still being unloaded, homes still being repaired. New projects had been started, towers being repaired and erected, building plans being laid out. There was a lot going on; much to be done.

Yet Pakku's head was in the past. A place he hadn't visited in ages. Once he had taken over his father's seat on the council, he'd had little time to think on his youth, his attention on the war. His skill with his element and tactical mind had moved him further up the ladder, placing him next to the chief. His life had revolved around keeping his home safe and training benders. He had little time to think on anything else.

Now, every time he stepped outside of his ship, he could see his past walking right before his eyes. The one part of his past he had never been able to erase or forget, no matter how busy his days. Every day he saw her throughout the the village; every evening he sat with her at dinner. The woman that had been one of his closest friends; the woman that been his betrothed. The woman that had ran out of his life, taking her companionship and his heart.

"Boss- could you come check this out?"

With a slight shake of his head, Pakku turned towards the man that had called his name. He had work to do, affairs to tend. He didn't have time to dwell on the past. Or the woman at it's core.

Still, as he walked to his post, there was a spring in the waterbender's step. No matter how he fought against it.

_**x x x x**_

"I've not had this much fun canning in ages!"

"Usually it's a tiresome activity."

"Don't I know it. Peeling, boiling, sealing. It can get boring real fast."

"Having such fine company can remedy that."

Yugoda smiled, hands deftly pulling skins off of an apple. She sat against the counter in her old friend's kitchen, rows of jars sitting in front of her, the progress of a long morning. Kana sat opposite her, slicing a medley of fruits, empty jars beside her, waiting to be filled.

"I've not had such a talented partner in years."

"I've not had anything to can in years," Kana countered, offering the healer a good-natured grin. Fresh fruits must be traded, and that route had closed long ago.

Though she did share Yugoda's sentiments. It was as though they had never parted, their comradery unchanged. Her kitchen might have well been her old bedroom. Laughs and smiles were a constant, and Kana was glad to have the healer back in her life.

Pakku was a different story. She couldn't deny that since their walk the air wasn't nearly as stifling. Nor could she deny the lightness she felt since confronting a piece of the past. But the door she had been afraid of opening seemed to be slowly creaking open, and Kana wasn't sure how long she could keep her foot in the doorway.

Yugoda was little help. They had all been friends in the past- why couldn't they all be friends now? The healer's reasoning was to let bygones be bygones and to move on. So much time had passed- what if this was a second chance? Her old friend was just as pastoral as ever. Kana did not want to take that route. Not matter how the healer danced around the subject.

Regardless, Kana was thankful for the company. Yugoda had always been the level-headed one, and Kana hadn't realized how much she had missed that until recently. Though she brought up memories of the past, they were much more pleasant.

_**x x x x**_

_"But, Yugoda, it's_ so crazy. Don't these silly traditions ever bother you?"

Spread across her friend's bed, pillow under her chin, Kana watched as Yugoda worked her needle through the garment sitting on her lap. The healer sat in a chair by the window, bright blue eyes never straying from the material.

"Not really."

It was the same answer Kana heard every time she asked the question. Which was becoming increasingly more often. Her parents were still dropping not-so-subtle hints that she start looking forward to marriage. Kana was finding it harder to push the thought away and continue on with her day. Yugoda was sitting in the same boat she was, but apparently her friend wasn't looking for a life vest.

Sighing into her pillow, Kana moaned, "How can you say that?"

"Why let them bother me? I can't change them."

"So you're _fine_ with marrying a complete stranger?"

"I'm sure he won't be a stranger, Kana. We'll have probably met at some point."

"A social dinner doesn't merit marriage! One word of conversation can't prepare you for countless dinners for the rest of you life."

Yugoda continued her sewing. "Everything starts somewhere."

Kana lifted her gaze, tone dropping to disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me. I've seen you look at Liko- I know you like him. And he's the son of a fisherman, so I highly doubt your father is going to pick him for you husband. You'll be fine with that?"

"I know my father will do what's best for me." The needle continued to dart in and out of the material, Yugoda's eye trained on the fabric.

"Okay, what about Ninke?"

Yugoda's face scrunched, sights finally settling on Kana.

"Eww."

"See!" Kana pointed a finger in triumph. "You don't like it, either."

Shaking her head, the healer folded her hands over her work, focusing her attention on the girl sitting on her bed. "I guess there are _aspects_ I don't like about it, but it's going to happen. Why sit and fight it? It won't hurt anyone but ourselves. Or our families."

"I know that. But..."

"But, what? What is it that's bothering you, Kana?"

Kana sighed. Everything. Everything was bothering her. It had been so easy to ignore it before. Just a month ago, even. Before she had turned sixteen and 'blossomed'. How anything blossomed in the North Pole was beyond her. It was ice and snow, everywhere you looked. Apparently weather had no hold over people, and once you were sixteen you were a no longer a seedling but a lovely flower. As a flower, you had to go out and bloom with other flowers, specifically male flowers. But you didn't get to pick your flower, it was chosen for you. Whether you recieved a rose or a thorn, it was beyond your control.

What if she was bestowed a thorn? What if he was cruel? Controlling? What if he didn't want her to ever leave the house? Or have friends? How did friendship work after marriage? Could you still visit each other, as she was doing now? Or what is she didn't like him, or if he didn't like her? What if she couldn't make him happy? What if she was never happy with him, but bound to him forever, despite her feelings?

There were too many questions. Too many possibilities. Thousands of outcomes and scenarios. Kana didn't have a single answer to any one of them. She couldn't stand it.

Yugoda already knew the answer to her question. They'd had this conversation multiple times over. Never once did the end result change. Neither knew what lay before them. Kana sighed once more, asking another question instead.

"Do you even want to get married?"

Yugoda was quiet for a moment, eyebrows raised in thought. As she answered, her fingers return to her sewing. "Yes. I don't think having a husband will be so bad. He'll be there to take care of us, and we won't have to be alone at night. Don't you want to marry?"

Truthfully, Kana hadn't thought that much about marriage. While most little girls dreamed of wearing a white gown and having the fairy-tale princess day, she had been happy running around fishing and racing Pakku. She'd always known that one day she would be married, it had just always seemed to loom in the distance, far from her sights. Now that it dangled in front of her, she couldn't say that she detested the idea, just the manner.

It was her life- she'd like to decide who she spent it with.

Slumping into her pillow, she huffed, "I don't know. What does it matter what I think? I'm going to be sold off, regardless."

With a small laugh, Yugoda lifted her gaze from needlework. "Oh, now." Eye's softening, she offered her friend a gentle smile. "What will be, will be, Kana. I really don't think it will be that bad. Have faith."

Kana watched the healer return to her sewing, another sigh swelling in her chest. If only she could find some of her tenacity. She hated feeling like a helpless child. Wasn't she supposed to be a woman now? Rolling to her back, staring up the ceiling, Kana closed her eyes.

She'd rather be fifteen again.

_**x x x x**_

Strolling through the village, another empty basket tucked under his arm, Pakku watched as the sun began sliding out of sight. It was nearly time for dinner, and he was looking forward to it. He was beyond hungry. This had to be the hundredth basket he had bared. The company, he reasoned, had nothing to do with. Seeing Kana had no effect on his stride, it was pure and simple hunger.

When he passed by her hut, saw her standing along side it with a basket of her own, he ignored the jump in his chest and continued walking. He was looking forward to supper, not her.

Yet Kana's voice quickly halted his steps and silenced his inner thoughts.

"Oh, more fresh fruit?"

He turned. She was standing just outside her door, fingers curled around a curved, woven handle, a smile touching just the corners of her eyes. Pakku continued to ignore the thump in chest and cleared his throat.

"All out, actually."

Kana nodded. "Oh. Well, I don't suppose I need anymore." She held up her basket, rows of cans tucked inside, slices of produce sealed tightly in the glass. "I'll be passing these out for days."

"I'm sure it will be welcomed."

The smile in her eyes grew. "Yes, I'm sure it will be."

Pakku turned his attention to his own basket, despite it's emptiness. Throughout the day, much more than he cared to admit, she had circled in and out of his thoughts. Now with the opportunity to speak, he had no idea what to say. Again, he cleared his throat.

"I suppose I'll see you at dinner?"

"Someone has to cook it."

He thought he saw the familiar flicker of humor light her gaze, but if he did, it was fleeting. He nodded, suddenly very uncomfortable, and turned to leave. Once again, Kana's voice stopped him.

"Wait."

A weight pressed against the basket he carried, a single can of fruit dropping to the bottom. Kana's lips turned into a brief smile. "See you in a bit," she offered, turning away, jars of food tucked beneath her arm.

Pakku watched her go, sight filtering between the can and the woman. The tightness in his chest swelled, and, as she shuffled through the village, he couldn't suppress his own grin. Hunger had absolutely nothing to do with his eagerness for dinner- it had everything to do with the woman that had just dropped a jar of fruit into his empty basket.

_**x x x x**_

_**A/n:**_ Pakku is difficult to write for and not make a sap; but, hey, he is kinda a sap for Kana. He'll have snark next installment. Yay! I still think this chapter was boring, though the flashback was fun to write. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. Yep, yep. I have a feeling it's going to be a monster, too...

Reviews would be great. :smilesmile: And, uh... yeah, see you all next chapter (which is going to be so fun to write)!

- L2G


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